The Peacemaker

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Many of the books I read are either cozy mysteries or Amish romances. The Peacemaker is a well-conceived mix of the two.

Ada is a young Amish woman who works in a greenhouse in Belleville, Pennsylvania, but has hopes to one day get married and have a family. Ephraim, originally from the same area, lives in Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County, where he takes care of his grandmother. Ada and Ephraim grew up together, connected by Ada’s best friend Rosa who has disappeared. Rosa was Ephraim’s “aldi” or girlfriend. When she disappears after they had an argument, Ephraim is briefly accused of murdering her. Even after the charges are dismissed, those in the local community still look on him with suspicion. Ada had always been attracted to Ephraim, but did not express that to anyone because of loyalty to her friend Rosa.

The reader watches the emergence of the gradual attraction between Ephraim and Ada along with family upheavals including other romances, childbirth, and a heart attack. Always in the background is concern for Rosa. Is she dead? Did she run off so she wouldn’t be pressured to join the Amish church? The answers to those questions are not found in The Peacemaker, but perhaps will be in the followup novel, The Pretender, which is set to be published on August 1, 2025.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Christian, Religion, Romance, Mystery

Notes: Because of a mislabeling in my notes, I read this book in the Mifflin County Mystery series first. As #2, it was adequate as a standalone, but I plan to go back to the first one because I enjoyed this one and want to fill in some blanks. I want to know more about the characters I met in this book.

Publication:   March 1, 2025—Barbour Publishing

Memorable Lines:

A sense of dread had soured his stomach like spoiled milk.

Although she did not receive the miracle that she had hoped for, Elsie returned to the house thankful that she’d been able to bless a stranger in need on this freezing-cold Christmas evening.

Susan knew he was a bad influence and being in his company inclined her to do things she wouldn’t normally do. She couldn’t get enough of him, though.